Ici il y a des dragons Chapter 2

The First Clue

While the battle was fierce, the casualties were more or less moderate, and the surviving soldiers who weren't wounded tended to the dead, giving the Chaldeans more than enough time to gather took a few minutes for Jeanne to explain her situation. She was merely summoned a few hours before Chaldea even arrived, but despite being a Ruler, she had no Command Spells, the majority of the information that Throne of Heroes was supposed to give her about the situation was missing, and to make things worse, her stats are now ranked down. The only clue she did have was that there was possibly another version of her that is being hailed as a witch. The Chaldeans managed to convince the soldiers to let Jeanne help them, though with great reluctance on the soldiers' end. Tatsuko decided to gather more information, with Mashu as her translator, while Ritsuka could focus on tending to the wounded. One particular soldier gave a treasure trove of information to the two girls.

"What is he saying?" Tatsuko asked.

"He says that he fought alongside Jeanne D'arc during the siege of Orleans." Mashu answered. "He also said that she was indeed resurrected, and-"

Mashu raised an eyebrow and asked the soldier to repeat what he said. The soldier nodded and repeated his statement. Tatsuko looked at the scene with curiosity. "What is it?"

Mashu turned to face the female Master with a surprised expression. "He says that this Dragon Witch killed King Charles VII."

Tatsuko's eyes widened slightly. "You're serious?"

Mashu nodded. "That's what he said."

"Well shit, now what do we do?" Tatsuko muttered.

"One thing is for certain." Emiya said calmly. "If this drags on, there'll be more of what we have seen here today."

Tatsuko shuddered. "What do you suggest?"

"We should probably wait for Ritsuka to finish what he's doing, then head out." Medea suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Tatsuko replied. "I'll tell-"

"Sir, I'm going to need you to hold still for a second."

The Chaldeans turned around and saw Ritsuka, with Kojiro and Jeanne by his side, tending to one of the more injured soldiers. Jeanne translated for Ritsuka, and the soldier complied. The male Master looked at the soldier's bloodied leg and grew concerned. He decided to gently take off the boot, so as to not cause any more pain to the soldier. The moment the boot was off, Ritsuka flinched as he stared at the leg. It was bloodied, but that's not what caused the male Master, along with Tatsuko and Mashu to recoil. The real cause was the pus and the ruined bits of skin that remained on the leg. It was clear that the leg was now heavily infected, and it would only get worse.

"This isn't good."

The soldier looked at the male Master and muttered something in French. Ritsuka turned to Jeanne with a knowing look.

"He's asking why you're looking at his leg like that." Jeanne answered.

Ritsuka sighed. "He's got a nasty infection in his leg."

"I'll tell him." Jeanne said. The Ruler spoke to the soldier quietly, the soldier then spoke to the blonde girl with a calm tone.

"Can you please tell me what he's saying?" The male Master asked.

"He's saying that if that is the case, then he can just get some water and bandages to dress it."

Ritsuka looked at the soldier with a saddened expression. "Unfortunately not at this stage…."

The soldier looked at the male Master with concern and spoke to him.

"He's asking why you're looking at him like that." Jeanne answered.

"The infection is worse than he thinks. If something isn't done now, then he's going to die." Ritsuka replied. Jeanne gently spoke to the French soldier, and the man looked back at the male Master in slight surprise. The moment he spoke, Jeanne turned to the male Master.

"He's asking if you can do something to stop it." The Ruler answered. The male Master looked at Jeanne with a conflicted expression.

"You CAN do something, right?" Jeanne asked.

Ritsuka shook his head. "If the infection wasn't so spread out, I could simply dress it and call it a day, but that isn't the case here. The infection's taken this entire part of the leg, and I don't have the necessary equipment to stop it."

Jeanne's eyes widened in shock, and reluctantly translated it to the French soldier. The man stared at Ritsuka with a concerned look. He spoke and Jeanne translated.

"He's asking what can be done." Jeanne said with a hint of sadness.

Ritsuka exhaled sharply. "There's only one thing that can potentially save him now."

Jeanne told the soldier what the male Master said, and the man looked at the conflicted expression on the male Master's face, causing him to speak in a scared tone.

"He's asking what you mean by that."

Ritsuka looked at the soldier with a sympathetic expression, before turning to face Kojiro. The Assassin saw the look on Ritsuka's face and immediately knew what he had in mind.

"I'll take care of it." Kojiro said calmly. The Assassin unsheathed his sword causing the soldier to turn pale and speak frantically. Ritsuka could tell he was scared, but turned to Jeanne for translation.

"He's asking why the man drew his sword." Jeanne answered.

"It's the only way to save him." Ritsuka replied as he wrapped a piece of leather just above the infected area. The soldier gasped and started to speak louder in desperation. It was clear to everyone that he realized what was going to happen.

"He's saying to please not do this." Jeanne answered. "He says he's fine and that he can just walk it off."

"We both know that's not possible." Ritsuka countered. "I don't want this to happen either, but we're running out of time, and there's only one solution."

"Are you sure that Medea can't help him?" Mashu asked. "Maybe she knows a spell that could-"

"No, the boy's right in doing this." Medea answered. "This is the safest way of saving this guy now."

"But he doesn't want to lose his leg….."

"We know Mashu." Artoria replied. "But there's no other way."

"Jeanne, what do you think?" Tatsuko asked.

The Ruler turned to face the female Master with a saddened expression. "This might be the best thing we can do…."

The soldier continued to speak and cry desperately, making the onlookers slightly uncomfortable. Jeanne returned her gaze back to the soldier and to Ritsuka.

'What did he say?" Ritsuka asked.

"He's saying he doesn't want to be a cripple." Jeanne answered.

"Unfortunately it's either that or death." Kojiro countered.

"Can you make it painless?" Ritsuka asked.

Kojiro nodded. "As painless as I can."

The Assassin tapped the leg to figure out the best place to aim for. Tatsuko looked at the sight before her and shivered. She turned to Ritsuka with a concerned expression.

"Don't you have anything to dull the pain?" She asked. "Like any anesthetic or tylenol?"

Ritsuka looked at Tatsuko and shook his head. "I wish I did, but I don't."

Kojiro did light practice swings in order to make the real thing quick, causing the soldier to cry out incoherently, begging the assassin not to take his leg. The male Master turned to Jeanne with a calm expression. "Can you ask him if he's got any family?"

The Ruler nodded and spoke to the terrified soldier. The soldier replied and Jeanne nodded. "He's got a wife and two children a few towns away from here. A girl and a baby boy."

Ritsuka nodded. He looked at the soldier and took a deep breath. "Do you want to see them again?"

Jeanne translated the question to the soldier. The wounded man looked at the male Master with a frightened expression and spoke.

"He does." Jeanne answered.

Ritsuka did not spare a glance at the Ruler. "Do you want your children to grow up without a father?"

Jeanne translated and the soldier spoke. "He says no, he doesn't."

"Then this is the only way." Ritsuka replied sympathetically. "I know you're scared. I would be too. I really wish your leg could be saved, but if you want to see your family again, then there's no other option."

Jeanne translated to the soldier in a gentle tone and the man whimpered. The wounded soldier looked at the male Master and nodded. It would seem that he's going to comply. Ritsuka nodded back and reached for a piece of hardened leather and put it in between the soldier's teeth. "Bite down on this, just in case."

The soldier took the leather between his teeth and looked at Kojiro with a frightened expression.

Ritsuka put a hand on the man's shoulder. "No, don't look at him. Please Look at me or anywhere else but him."

Jeanne translated and the soldier complied. The male Master offered his hand for the soldier to hold. The soldier immediately grasped his hand, and stared at the male Master with intense focus and started to breathe heavily. Kojiro took one last practice swing, and tightened his grip on his blade.

Ritsuka turned to Tatsuko and Mashu with a sympathetic stare. "If you want to turn away, please do so now."

The two girls did not turn away. Kojiro raised his blade while Ritsuka continued to speak soothing words to the wounded soldier. The soldier's breathing continued to be erratic, showing his fear. Kojiro decided that now was the time, and swung his blade, forcing the girls to close their eyes before the leg was cut.

The muffled scream of the soldier etched itself into the Chaldean trio's ears, but Ritsuka had to bury it away. He needed to move quickly before the man passed out from blood loss. Ritsuka got out his med kit and immediately found what he was looking for. While he didn't have anything that could get rid of the infection from the severed leg, he did have the necessary supplies to stop the stump from getting infected. He cleaned the wound, and tightly wrapped a tourniquet over the stump. The moment he was done, the soldier huffed and puffed as his breathing slowed. The man was still conscious, which was both surprising, yet it also relieved the male master that the man still had enough strength. He turned to some of the onlooking soldiers with a calm expression.

"Does anyone among you know which town he came from?" Ritsuka asked.

Jeanne translated the question and one soldier stepped forward. "Oui!"

"Okay, that I understood." Ritsuka muttered. "When it's safe, can you please take him home? And please tell his family that he fought bravely."

Jeanne smiled as she translated the male Master's request, and the soldier nodded. "Oui!"

"Thank you." Ritsuka replied. He looked back at the now one legged soldier and smiled gently. "It's going to be okay now. You'll be able to see your children again."

Jeanne translated, and the soldier nodded weakly as the other soldier gently picked him up and carried him away.

The male Master looked at Kojiro, who managed to hide the severed leg and nodded. "Thanks for making it quick."

The Assassin nodded. "I'm more impressed that you made such a decision without any hesitation."

The male Master shook his head. "It's not that impressive. I just knew that it had to be done."

The male Master turned to look at Tatsuko and Mashu, and saw their concerned expressions.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mashu asked.

Ritsuka flashed a reassuring smile. "He's going to be just fine. He'll be going back to his family, and tell his children he fought dragons."

"Maybe he could call himself Siegfried. Oh wait, what if he WAS Siegfried?"

"How could that be Siegfried?" Ritsuka asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"We time traveled to the Hundred Years War in France, and we're fighting dragons." Tatsuko countered. "NOTHING makes sense right now."

Ritsuka sighed. "You make a fair point."

"Now now, let's all just take a deep breath and relax." Roman said through the communicator that Emiya held. "You all just went through a harrowing experience, and gathered a boat load of information. Also, good work on your decision to amputate that soldier's leg Ritsuka, you made the right call."

A small blush formed on Ritsuka's face. "Again guys, I didn't do anything special….."

"Oh quit being so modest!" Roman chimed as he threw a piece of candy in his mouth. "Wow, these sweets are delicious!"

Mashu looked at the doctor with a blank expression. "Doctor. Those were the sweets that I got, right?"

Roman looked at the Shielder with curious glint. "I don't know, I just found them in the Command Room next to the tea, so I thought…"

Mashu glared at the doctor and clenched her fists. Ritsuka and Tatsuko stared at the Shielder in slight surprise as they watched her glare at Roman. They then looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement to not get involved.

"I got them as a token of gratitude, for when we return from this Order." Mashu said sternly. "Needless to say, they weren't for you, but for Senpai and Tatsuko, both of whom no doubt fought bravely on the frontlines."

"Wow Mashu, you've become such a thoughtful person. I'm proud of you." Roman replied as he gobbled more of the sweets. "I must say, these are some really tasty sweets. I'm sure Ritsuka and Tatsuko will be thrilled, too!"

Mashu's glare intensified as she turned to face the two Masters.

"Senpai? Tatsuko? When we return to Chaldea, please reserve enough combat resources for one attack." Mashu requested. The Shielder returned her gaze back to Roman, earning amused stares from the other Servants. "I've registered one more enemy that I'd like to hit with the back of my blade!"

Roman gulped. "Uh oh…"

Ritsuka and Tatsuko could no longer stand by and raised their hands in reassurance to calm the Shielder down.

"Mashu, let's just calm down now." Ritsuka said gently.

"But he-"

"It was an honest mistake Mashu." Tatsuko said calmly before looking at the communicator. "Isn't that right, Roman?"

The doctor nodded as he took note of Tatsuko's glare. Ritsuka looked back at him with an equally unhappy stare.

"Maybe you should stop eating the gift Mashu made for us so you don't get into even MORE trouble, doctor Roman." Ritsuka suggested sternly. The doctor nodded and swallowed the candy in his mouth before putting away the rest. "Now that that's been taken care of, we need to figure out what to do next."

"Emiya already suggested that we just leave after you were done with tending to the wounded." Medea replied.

Ritsuka shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, I'd agree, but considering the situation now, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What do you have in mind?" Tatsuko asked.

Ritsuka returned his gaze to Roman. "Where's the best leyline right now?"

Roman looked at the monitor for a few moments before chuckling. "You're in luck, it just so happens that the fort you're in now is above the best leyline in a five mile radius."

"Well I'll be damned." Emiya said in amusement. "Looks like Ritsuka's idea of staying put was the better call."

"It would seem so." Kojiro replied.

Ritsuka ignored their comments and kept his gaze on Roman. "We're probably going to need more help in dealing with whatever's going on here."

"Who do you have in mind?" Roman asked.

"Medusa, Cú and Heracles." Ritsuka answered.

Roman looked at him in slight surprise. "You want the rest of the Servants to join in?"

Ritsuka nodded.

"Okay, Medusa and Cú are still here so that's taken care of." Roman stated. "Oh, it seems Heracles must have heard you, because he just walked into the Command Room."

"Wow, he's such a good listener." Tatsuko said. "Maybe that's why he doesn't speak."

Medea rolled her eyes at the joke.

"Okay, they're all prepped and ready." Roman said. "Mashu, can you lay down your shield so they can enter?"

"Of course."

Mashu laid her shield down where everyone stood as they all backed away slowly.

"Okay, they're coming over now!" Roman said.

The shield glowed brightly and erupted in a pillar of light. The moment the light died down, the three Servants appeared a few inches away and walked over to the group.

"Have you guys been brought up to speed?" Ritsuka asked.

"Yeah, we know what's happened so far." Cú answered. "So we're off to slay some dragons? Sounds like fun to me."

Tatsuko turned to see some of the French soldiers staring at them. The female Master then looked at Jeanne with a gentle smile. "I don't mean to be a bother, but can you translate something for us?"

Jeanne nodded. "What do you need?"

"Can you ask the soldiers where the closest town is?" Tatsuko asked. "We need to gather more information."

Jeanne smiled back. "Leave it to me."

"Holy crap! I didn't expect them to be this generous!"

Artoria chuckled. "Well that's what happens when you save lives, they give you more than you bargained for."

The soldiers were quite grateful with the Chaldeans for their help. Too grateful, one could say. They gave them a map alongside a good number of food rations and water, as well as bandages in case any of them got hurt. That was a lot more than what any of them expected to receive for their actions.

"Can you hand over the water skin? I'm so thirsty!" Tatsuko said as she went to grab one of the water rations that they received, drinking until she was satisfied while the rest looked amused.

"Let's check the food before we go." Ritsuka said as he checked what they gave them. Standard military food of the period they assumed "I'm going to take a bite, getting all the way over here got me a bit hungry."

"I'd like some too, if that's not a bother Senpai."

"Of course not. Here, help yourself." Ritsuka took a bit of the food then gave Mashu the rest, which surprised the girl. Nevertheless, she was grateful and took a bite.

It wasn't the most luxurious meal, that was for sure, but it was tasty, and would keep them going until their next stop. Before they made their way down the path, Emiya suggested something that would help them greatly.

"Should I take to the high ground and see how far we are from the village?"

"That's a good idea, go for it." Ritsuka answered.

Emiya left for a minute, then returned, and the look on his face made it obvious, whatever he saw, wasn't good.

"Did you see the town?" Medusa asked.

"Yeah….."

"What's it like out there?"

The Archer sighed. "The town is in ruins."

Ritsuka and Tatsuko couldn't hide their disappointment as the rest of the group felt their concerns.

"Maybe there were survivors?" Jeanne chimed. Ritsuka and Tatsuko perked up at the question and looked at Emiya who only sighed. The Archer looked at the Masters with a stern expression, he didn't want to hurt their feelings but he knew that he had to be the realist here.

"I doubt it." He said calmly.

"Even so, we should at least look for potential survivors." Tatsuko said. "If someone did survive the attack, then they could give us valuable information, and possibly some more supplies."

"I agree with Tatsuko." Ritsuka chimed. "If there are survivors then we should help them. It's the right thing to do."

"We can't be certain that there are any. What if it's a trap?" Cú countered. Mashu couldn't help but feel conflicted. On one end, the Lancer was right that it could be a trap, and Emiya's statement could be true. But on the other hand, she didn't want to abandon anyone that could be helped. Ritsuka and Tatsuko wanted to help those in need, and as their Demi-Servant, she wanted to support them.

"I know I have no right to ask this," the Shielder said shyly. "But I think going to the village is worth the risk. If there are still people in the town and we didn't help, I'd bring shame to the heroic spirit who saved me."

Emiya and Cú looked at each other with uncertainty, but Artoria smiled at Mashu's statement. She walked up to the two Servants in doubt and nodded. "I agree with her. It would be wise if we at least try to check it out."

The young trio's eyes widened in hope before the Saber turned to them and gave a stoney look. "However, I agree with them as well in that it could be a trap. So I urge that we be cautious. Does this arrangement work for you?"

The Chaldean Trio turned to each other with knowing looks. While they were hoping for a more reasonable response, Artoria did make a valid point. Without any hesitation Tatsuko returned her gaze to the Saber and nodded. Artoria looked at Cú and Emiya and they could only sigh.

"Well, looks like we're going in whether we like it or not…" Emiya said quietly.

"For once I agree with you. But it's not like the others will listen." Cu said in defeat.

Artoria turned to Kojiro, Heracles, Jeanne, Medusa and Medea with a calm expression. "Do any of you have any objections?"

Jeanne smiled and shook her head, while the Assassin, Rider and Caster looked at each other knowingly before returning their gaze back to the Saber.

"We're on board, but I'm not sure what the Berserker thinks." Medea said coldly. Heracles looked at her with a neutral expression before moving towards the Masters. Emiya and Artoria immediately put their hands upon their weapons just in case the Berserker tried anything as he walked closer to them. Heracles stopped mere inches from the two teenagers, and to everyone's surprise, knelt down and extended his hand out. The two Masters looked at each other in slight confusion before turning back to the Berserker.

"Are-are you wanting to carry us there?" Ritsuka asked curiously. The berserker nodded, causing the other Servants to look at him in shock. The two Masters looked at each other with slight discomfort. Heracles saw this, but he was determined. He simply scooped them both into his arms gently and began to walk towards the village as the Masters tried to protest. Mashu looked at Medea who gave a similar surprised look. The Caster recovered and gave a smile to the Shielder.

"Looks like Heracles won't be taking no for an answer." Medea joked, causing Mashu to giggle.

It didn't take long for them to reach the town, but the group immediately stared in disappointment as they saw the ruined buildings. It's obvious now that the village was now in complete ruins, but the Chaldeans and Jeanne entered anyway to see what they could find. Ritsuka and Kojiro walked towards one of the buildings that was the most intact to look for any potential survivors or any supplies that could be salvaged. The building's roof looked as if it was torn apart, the windows smashed, and the door was reduced to ashes. However the general foundation still stood strong, so they decided to check.

Not a moment after they entered the doorway did the two of them immediately wince at the corpses in front of them. Mashu noticed their hesitation and walked towards them before Ritsuka put a hand out to stop her.

"Senpai?"

"Don't come any closer." He said gently. The Shielder looked at him in confusion before looking over his shoulder and saw what he was talking about causing her to look away in sadness. She gave a small nod as Emiya walked towards them. The Archer took a look inside and sighed at the display before Ritsuka covered his mouth with his shirt, and walked in the building slowly yet cautiously.

"What are you doing?!" He whispered loudly. The male Master ignored him as he knelt down towards the closest body with a sorrowful expression. Ritsuka turned the body over and recoiled at the deep wounds that killed the man. Kojiro and Emiya stared at Ritsuka in surprise as he stared at the body silently before taking a deep breath.

"These wounds came from either a wyvern or a dragon, considering the marks we saw on the soldiers back at the fort. And just by looking at the wounds themselves, He-" Ritsuka took another deep breath to calm his nerves. "He was killed almost instantly."

The two Servants looked at each other in concern as Ritsuka further inspected the corpse.

"Judging by how fresh the wounds are here," the male Master continued as he held back his urge to vomit. "This was done only a few hours ago. Same with the other bodies."

"A few hours ago? Are you sure? Do you think the wyverns are still here?" Emiya asked frantically.

Ritsuka shook his head. "If they were, then we would've been attacked. So it stands to reason that they already left."

"But why?" Kojiro asked. "They could've taken the bodies for food. It doesn't-" the Assassin stopped as he saw Ritsuka's face twist in discomfort. "Sorry, forget I-"

"No, you're right," Ritsuka said mournfully. "I think it could be that…..maybe they already ate while they were here….."

The two Servants winced at the statement. Mashu walked into the doorway, having found the courage to see what was inside herself. The Shielder's' heart dropped as she got a better view of the corpses, something that Ritsuka noticed. He regained his composure, and immediately turned to Emiya with a calm expression.

"I'd like to ask a favor."

Emiya nodded. "What do you need?"

"Can you find a few blankets, shovels and spades? I'd like to give them a proper burial. They deserve that much."

The Archer looked at him with pleasant surprise and nodded. He gave Mashu room to go inside before he ran into Tatsuko who gave a sad look. "The whole village is empty. I don't think anyone-"

"It's not empty." Emiya replied. "I wouldn't go into that building if I were you."

"Why no-" Tatsuko looked inside and immediately threw up at the sight. Ritsuka and Mashu immediately rushed to check up on her before Emiya walked away to his task.

"Sorry," Tatsuko said weakly. "I should've listened to Emiya there."

"It's okay Tatsuko," Mashu said gently. "You didn't know."

The female Master recomposed herself and stood up to see Ritsuka staring at the bodies. Kojiro walked towards the male Master with a concerned look.

"How were you able to get all that information from looking at the bodies?" He asked calmly.

Ritsuka took a deep breath as he continued to look at the corpses. "I'm sorry, but I don't really feel comfortable talking about that right now."

Kojiro gave him a look before sighing. It was obvious that ritsuka wasn't going to answer the question, but he didn't want to press the issue further considering everything that has happened so far. Mashu and Tatsuko, on the other hand, could only stare at Ritsuka with pained expressions. They wanted to know more about how he lived, but they also didn't want to force the male Master to explain himself. Ritsuka looked at them and gave his own conflicted expression. They could tell he wanted to tell them, but he was holding himself back.

"Senpai," Mashu said quietly. "You don't need to say anything. Just tell us when you're ready."

Ritsuka nodded as Emiya returned with some blankets and shovels.

Chaldea had set up camp after what they saw in the village. The party wasn't in the mood to travel after what they witnessed, and as such prefered to rest before continuing.

"At least burying the bodies gives me some peace of mind, but what happened there… I still can't believe it." Ritsuka said as he drank some water.

"Such is war, Master. The scene wasn't pretty, yes, but you can't let it get to you." Medusa said, sitting next to him. "Especially not during moments like this."

"I know, I just… It's hard to explain."

"Not at all. Seeing something like that isn't easy for anyone, we get it better than anyone" Artoria said gently. "Just remember, we're here to help if things get difficult."

"Thanks, but I think Tatsuko needs more help right now. Remember how she reacted when she saw what happened."

"I'm better, don't worry about me. I just… I'm not hungry right now." Tatsuko said, putting her food on her legs.

"In that case, best to save it for later. We wouldn't want to waste what the soldiers gave us after all" Emiya said, picking Tatsuko's food and returning it to its pack to preserve it.

"Thanks mom…" Tatsuko answered.

"I'm not your mother, but you're welcome." Emiya answered, rolling his eyes while Artoria giggled. The Archer looked at the male Master and smiled.

"Onto another topic." He said. "You did really well out there today."

Ritsuka cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "Can you elaborate?"

Emiya nodded. "Well there's the fact that you suggested we bury the bodies."

Ritsuka shook his head. "I'd hardly say that deserves praise. I just wanted to give the dead the proper respect."

"Well, there's also the part where you asked for my help to amputate that soldier's leg." Kojiro replied.

"He may have done well, but that was merely common sense." Medea replied.

Ritsuka looked at the others and chuckled. "She's right, you know."

"Well you also managed to keep your cool and helped the injured soldiers while we had flying lizards trying to eat us." Tatsuko chimed. "I'm going to admit, that was pretty badass."

"Tatsuko is right Senpai." Mashu chimed. " You were the very model of a brave medic out there."

Ritsuka blushed. "Th-th-thanks….."

"Then there's the fact that you stopped me from finishing off those soldiers." Emiya replied. "I'll admit, I thought it was a bad idea, but in the end it all worked out."

Ritsuka flinched at the comment. Medea scoffed at Emiya's remark. "That was nothing more than dumb luck."

Everyone turned to look at the Caster in shock. Artoria narrowed her eyes at Medea. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Medea scoffed in dismissal. "The boy was being reckless and naive."

Ritsuka shook his head. "It's wrong to kill them."

"I agree with Senpai." Mashu replied. "To kill them would have been too cruel…"

"It would've been more pragmatic." Medea countered. "If those wyverns didn't attack, they'd have told everyone in the fort to attack us for being British spies."

"But Ritsuka sparing those soldiers would have proven otherwise." Kojiro countered back. "If the people at the fort thought we were spies, then they'd be surprised we let their patrol live."

"Or they'd think that it was a ploy to let their guards down." Medea replied.

"Hey, it worked out didn't it?" Cú asked. "Why are you raising such a stink over it?"

Medea looked at Ritsuka and narrowed her eyes. "Because the boy just wanted to play the hero. He probably thought that by asking Mr. Counter Guardian over there to spare them, it would make him look good, and endear himself to us Servants."

Ritsuka shook his head. "Medea, that's not why I-"

"I'm not finished, boy." Medea interrupted. "If you think for one second that doing that would net you any points with me, then you're dead wrong."

"I wasn't trying to do that either." Ritsuka countered as he began to stand up. "I just can't stomach the thought of us killing people….."

Everyone watched the two of them in silence wearing uncomfortable expressions. They saw the annoyed look on the Caster's face, and knew this was getting a little too tense. Medea gritted her teeth. "If that's the case, then go home! Go back to Chaldea if you can't-"

"WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT MONSTERS!"

Everyone stared at Ritsuka's angered expression in stunned silence. Medea looked at the male Master with her mouth agape and widened eyes. "What do you mean by monsters?"

Ritsuka's eyes widened in horror as he saw the others' expressions. Everyone immediately became concerned as his breathing became haggard and sharp.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Was Ritsuka's mantra as he hugged his chest. No one said a word as they saw the male Master tried taking deep breaths in order to calm his nerves. However, to everyone's shock, and on a closer inspection, their eyes widened further.

Ritsuka was shivering.

Mashu got up and gently hugged the male Master, causing the black haired boy to calm down.

"Are you okay Senpai?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "No, I'm not okay."

"Hey…Ritsuka, do you want to talk about it?" Tatsuko asked gently.

Ritsuka shook his head. "Not right now…it's something I REALLY don't like remembering. But…you guys deserve to know. I'll tell you guys when we get back…"

As Mashu released Ritsuka from her hug, everyone looked at each other, then back to the male Master and nodded sympathetically.

"Take all the time you need." Jeanne said gently. "We'll wait until you're comfortable enough to tell us."

Ritsuka didn't respond to the comment. He simply looked at the ground a few inches from the campfire and sighed.

"I'm going to turn in early." He said.

"Are you sure?" Emiya asked. "You didn't even eat anything yet."

Ritsuka nodded. The male Master walked towards the ground away from the fire, and rolled out his sleeping bag. He laid down, and looked over his shoulder to stare at the others. "Good night…"

He turned away and closed his eyes. The rest of the group looked at each other in concern. They all came to a silent agreement on one thing;

He had a traumatic experience. SOMETHING happened to him, and it shook him to his very core.

—-Author's notes—-

OC: Wow, talk about heavy.

CV: The start of Ritsuka's mind break XD.

OC: Don't make me bonk you on the head XD.

CV: Hey, Mashu would like to break her Senpai lol.

OC: Lol. But in all seriousness, I thought that for this chapter we would give insight on what made Ritsuka…..well, Ritsuka.

CV: His past was pretty heavy, but everything that happened helped him become the man we know today, the good and the bad.

OC: Yeah, and for those who want to know what caused all this, I regret to inform you that while he will tell everyone in Chaldea, it will be offscreen at the moment. But we will reveal the truth onscreen for you all after the American Singularity in a conversation with a Servant, who, by the way, would be the perfect person for him to talk privately to.

CV: You'll have to wait a bit, but I can assure you that the wait will be worth it.

OC: Indeed it will be. And I have to come out and say this to our readers: For a few months, Ritsuka's no killing policy was a thing that Vlad and I had disagreements on. It wasn't until a couple of months before Chronicles was written, that when I gave him the rough draft of the scene that revealed what happened, that he came around to it.

CV: Yeah, there were some things that we had disagreements on how they should be made, but we eventually came around to everything before the story was written.

OC: And in the end, the details we ironed out came out pretty well if I do say so myself. And when we finish the Orleans arc, we will have a chapter that will reveal who the no killing rule applies to, and who is exempt. That way everyone will know how it plays out, and that way there will be consistency in how they fight.

CV: The fights here in Orleans should give y'all a hint over who is exempt from the killing rule.

OC: Yup. And we will see how this rule will be put to the test much later down the line with some particular individuals who shall not be named right now.

CV: Exactly. While he may not like killing, there are some individuals that he'll have no problem putting them 5 feet underground. Though while he may wish to kill them, he'll still struggle with it.

OC: Yeah. He knows that if he does take that step, they win and get the last laugh.

CV: Of course, our boy Ritsuka wouldn't enjoy that. He'll just leave them crippled for life XD.

OC: XD. But in all seriousness, I'm going to enjoy seeing how this rule develops overtime, and how important it will play into later chapters.

CV: I'll do too, and I hope the readers will join us in that one. That's everything for today, we hope you enjoyed it and we'll see you all next week. Have a good day/night everyone.